Sean Hayes On His Sexuality: 'I Was Never In'

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The actor gave an in-depth interview with The Advocate, in which he acknowledged that he's gay.

Updated at 7:15 PM CDT on Tuesday, Mar 9, 2010

Sean Hayes, best known for his role as the outlandish Jack on "Will & Grace" is finally getting candid about his personal life and addressing critics who say he remained in the closet about his sexuality.

The actor gave an in-depth interview with The Advocate, in which he acknowledged that he's gay.

"I am who I am," he told the mag. "I was never in, as they say. Never."

During his run on the hit NBC sitcom, Sean was coyer about his sexuality, previously telling the Detroit Free Press, "When I play a gay character I want to be as believable as possible. And when I'm playing a straight character I also want to be as believable as possible. So the less that people know about my personal life, the more believable I can be as a character."

Sean told the mag he doesn't feel the need to explain anything to the public.

"Nobody owes anything to anybody. You are your authentic self to whom and when you choose to be, and if you don't know somebody, then why would you explain to them how you live your life?" he told the mag, adding that he's willing to take on critics who might say otherwise.

"I feel like I've contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America," he continued. "And if anyone wants to argue that, I'm open to it."

As for his dating life, Sean remained mum on the details, but revealed "I spend time with a special someone in my life…That's it. That's all I need… I don't need events. I don't do a lot. I live my life like an 85-year-old man. I'm just quiet. It's fantastic."